Texas Porch

Hunting / Licenses

Bowie County has an open spring turkey season and specific deer antler rules

Hunters in Bowie County must follow county-specific antler restrictions for white-tailed deer and a turkey season that only applies north of US 82.

Bowie County Rules & Licenses

Bowie County is in the North Zone for white-tailed deer and has antler restrictions in effect. The overall bag limit is four deer with no more than two bucks. Of those bucks, only one may have an inside antler spread of 13 inches or greater — the other buck must be smaller. This rule is designed to protect younger deer and let them mature.

Spring turkey season is open in Bowie County, but only north of US Highway 82. There is no spring turkey season south of that highway. Turkey hunting is allowed from late April into mid-May (check the current TPWD Outdoor Annual for exact dates, as they change year to year). Bowie County is one of only a handful of East Texas counties with a spring turkey season.

A valid Texas Hunting License is required for all game, along with any required endorsements — upland game bird, migratory game bird, and federal duck stamp where applicable. You can buy licenses online at tpwd.texas.gov or at sporting goods stores. Always check the TPWD Outdoor Annual or the county-specific regulations page for the current season before you hunt.

Source to confirm: TPWD: Bowie County Hunting Regulations

More Bowie County notes

Property tax

Texas raised the school-district homestead exemption to $140,000

Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2025 that raised the mandatory school-district homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, retroactive to January 1, 2025.

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Property tax

You can protest your property appraisal every year in Bowie County

Texas law gives every property owner the right to challenge their appraisal each year by filing a protest with the Appraisal Review Board before the deadline.

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Agricultural valuation

Timber and farm land can be taxed on productivity value, not market value

Under Texas law, land actively used for farming, ranching, or timber production can qualify for special appraisal — meaning it is taxed based on what it produces, not what it would sell for.

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Property tax

Two separate offices handle appraisal and tax collection in Bowie County

The Bowie Central Appraisal District sets property values, while a separate Tax Assessor-Collector handles billing — knowing which office to call saves confusion.

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